Adjustable ski binding



April 1967 R. F. TIESLER 3,

ADJUSTABLE SKI BINDING Filed Oct. 15, 1965 3 heets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

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ADJUSTABLE SKI BINDING Filed Oct. 15, 1965 3 heets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

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ADJUSTABLE SKI BINDING Filed Oct. l5, 1965 3 hets-$heet 5 XYKW I INVENTOR. 9%, FJaZb Y awww A T'TOA NE Y5 United States Patent 3,314,687 ADJUSTABLE SKI BINDING Robin F. Tiesler, Carversville and Wismer Roads, Carversville, Pa. 18913 Filed Oct. 15, 1965, Ser. No. 496,433 8 Claims. (Cl. 280-1135) This invention relates to bindings for securing a skiers boot to a ski. This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application No. 305,718, filed August 30, 1963, now Patent No. 3,248,124, issued April 26, 1966.

The bindings of the present invention are particularly adapted for use on snow skis. As set forth in my earlier filed copending application, the bindings of the type described therein ofter a unique solution to many of the problems encountered with prior art equipment, namely the lack of the capability of being easily adjustable to meet varying snow conditions or different boot sizes. Moreover, such bindings could not be readily removed and remounted on other sets of skis. The need for a binding which possessed these qualities was particularly great in the ski rental business. The bindings disclosed therein have proved very effective in solving these problems since ski shop operators saved substantial amounts of time in fitting bindings for skiers. As used herein the term binding is generally intended to include all portions of the apparatus for securing the boot to the ski.

The present invention provides improved means for effecting the interchangeability and adjustability afforded by the bindings described and claimed in the aforementioned application.

Accordingly, an important object of this invention is the provision of improved apparatus for effecting adjustability of a ski binding to suit various ski conditions, boot sizes and the desires of a particular skier.

A further object of the invention is the provision of improvements in an arrangement of ski binding parts in order to make the binding rapidly interchangeable with different sets of skis.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of an improved mechanism for rapidly adjusting the position of the heel gripping means in track type ski bindings of the general type disclosed in the aforesaid application.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a ski binding which possesses the features of simplicity, dependability and durability essential in sporting goods equipment.

According to the invention, the foregoing and various other objects are achieved by a ski binding which includes a guide track secured to the upper surface of the ski; an elongated slide plate mounted on said track, a lock plate and a heelplate each slideably mounted on said track, said lock and heel plates each having guide means for retaining the plates on the track, a plurality of apertures spaced along said slide plate, at least one aperture on said track in axial alignment with a group of apertures on said slide plate, a vertically projecting lock pin carried by said lock plate, said pin being in engagement with selected apertures in the slide plate and in the track to secure the lock and slide plates in selected positions along the track and a vertically projecting pin on the heel plate, mounted for axial movement into and out of selected ones of said slide plate apertures.

The foregoing will become clearly apparent upon reference to the following detailed description and to the drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational structed in accordance with the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view on an enlarged scale, of the toe gripping portions of the binding shown in FIG- URE l, with certain portions broken away for clarity;

FIGURE 2a is a sectional view taken along the lines 2a-2a of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 3 is a plan view, with certain portions broken away for purposes of illustration, of the heel gripping portions of the binding of the present invention;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along lines 55 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken along lines 5-5 with the positioning of parts being changed to illustrate one of the operating portions of the apparatus of the invention.

As viewed in FIGURE 1, the illustrative embodiment of the invention includes, generally, a guide track 10; a locking plate 11 which supports a toe piece 12; and a heel plate 13 (see also FIGURES 3 through 6) to which is connected a heel clamping means generally indicated at 14.

Track 10 is preferably a channel shaped member, provided with guides or laterally extending flanges 15 which are spaced above the upper surface of the ski. Locking plate 11 and heel plate 13 are each provided with bent over laterally etxending guides 16 and 17 respectively (FIGURES 2a and 4). The locking plate and the heel plate guides fit under the track guides or flanges to restrain these members from separation from the track, while permitting sliding movement therealong.

A slide plate rides on the track 10 in the space between the track flanges or guides 15. The upper surface of the slide plate is preferably flush with: or slightly below the upper surface of the flanges 15, so that the heel and locking plates 11 and 13 will slide along the track out of engagement with the slide plate.

As viewed in FIGURES 2 and 2a locking plate 11 is provided with locking means which preferably comprise a pair of transversely spaced threaded pins or machine screws 18. Screws 18 are threaded into threaded apertures 19 in the locking plate 11.

Slide plate 20 is provided with a plurality of apertures 21 extending lengthwise of the plate. The apertures are placed in the plate in two side-by-side rows in axial alignment with the screws or pins 18.. At least one aperture 22, and preferably a plurality, are located in view of a binding conprinciples of the present the track 10 in axial alignment with, and preferably hav eye 29 connected to the ring 26.

ing the same spacing as, the apertures 21. As will be evident from the drawings, especially FIGURE 2a, the locking pins 18 may be extended through pairs of aligned apertures in the slide plate 20 and the guide track 10 and when in that position, lock the toe piece, the slide plate and the track relative to one another.

As shown in FIGURE 3, heel plate 13 is provided with a pair of bent over ears 25, on which are mounted a pair of D-rings 26, as is clearly shown in FIGURE 3. A toggle operated heel gripping bar 27 is secured to one of the D-rings 26 by means of an eye-bolt 28 having an The shank of the bolt passes through a hole in the bar 27. Spacer 30 and a nut 31 threaded on the shank of the eye bolt provide for limited adjustability of the heel bar 27. A manually operable locking lever 32 is pivotally mounted on the bar by means of a pair of spaced apart aligned pins 33, only one such pin being visible in FIGURE 3. The lever carries a pin 34 to which is connected a shank portion 35 of a coil spring 36. The opposite end of the spring 36 is formed with a loop 37 spaced away from the base of the spring. A locking pin 38 has a looped portion 39 which is loosely connected to the shank 35 of the spring. The free end 38a of the pin 38 is passed through the loop 37, forming a coupling which is connected to D-ring 26. When the spring is stretched a predetermined amount, as described in my copending application Ser. No. 459,758, filed May 28, 1965, the end 33a of the pin 38 is pulled free of the loop 37, and at this point the heel clamp bar releases the boot from the ski allowing for a free fall.

In order to lock the heel plate at different adjusted positions lengthwise of the ski, I mount a fiat plate 40 on the heel plate for movement toward and away from a position in which it is flush with the heel plate 13. The flat plate 40 carries a second locking pin 41 (see FIG- URES 3-6). The pin 41 normally extends through an opening 42 in the heel plate and-into a selected one of a plurality of apertures 43 disposed in a row on the slideplate 20. Plate 40 is provided with bent over end portions 44. A substantially rectangularly shaped spring loop 45, is disposed beneath the heel plate 13 with its ends extending upwardly into the grooves formed by the bent over ends 44 of the plate 40. The spring thus urges the plate 40 downwardly into the position in which the pin 41 rides in an aperture 43.

In order to retract the pin 41 from the aperture in which it was previously inserted, I provide a second lever 46 (see FIGURE 3) which is pivotally mounted on the heel plate 13. The lever 46 normally rests in a cutout 47 in the plate 40 so that its upper portion is flush with the surface of plate 40. The lever 46 is provided with a camming plate or bar 48 which extends underneath the plate 40.

To retract the pin 41, the operator merely lifts the lever 46 by its end 46a. The camming bar 48 lifts the lever or plate 40 which removes pin 41 from an aperture in the slide plate, and in this position the heel plate is now freed for movement to different adjusted positions along the track. When the lever 46 is in the substantially upright position shown in FIGURE 6, it should be noted that it will remain in this position against the urging of the spring 45 until such time as the operator pushes it downwardly to return it to its normal position.

With this arrangement, the heel plate can be moved to the desired adjusted position and when it is in the selected position the operator merely has to place a slight pressure on the handle 46 to release the pin 41 for downward movement.

In use, toe and heel plates 11 and 13 may be set in different adjusted positions on the slide plate 20, according to the size of the skiers boot. Locking screws 18 are then adjusted so that they extend only through the slide plate 20. The slide plate is then moved to any position lengthwise of of the foot is over the midpoint of the ski running surface but also to any other position in accordance with the skiers desires. At that point the pins 18 are further advanced into the holes in the track and the binding is locked in adjusted position.

As in the case with the binding described in my copending application No. 305,718, the slide plate with the toe and heel plates and the boot attached may be simply and easily transferred to another channel member, which will function as a boot tree for storing boots. The boot with binding portions attached can thereafter be transferred to any other ski which already is equipped with a track.

the track, usually to a point where the ball.

If desired, it should be obvious that certain portions of the invention, notably the heel plate with its locking mechanism may be used with conventional toe pieces mounted directly on a ski. In such an installation, ape-rtures would be provided in a piece of guide track or a piece of the slide plate secured directly on the guide track. Such an arrangement, of course, would not allow for adjusting the position of the boot lengthwise along the ski running surface.

The bindings of the invention are simple in construction and are durable and safe in operation. The interchangeability provided by the invention makes it possible to fit a binding on a ski in a matter of minutes and to thereafter make adjustments for boot sizes ranging from a small childs size to the largest adult size.

I claim:

1. A binding prising:

a guide track adapted to be mounted on a ski, said guide track comprising a channel member having guide portions spaced from the upper surface of the ski;

a lock plate and a heel plate each slidably mounted on said track guide portions, said lock and heel plates each having guide portions complementary to the track guide portions for retaining said plates on the track;

an elongate-d side plate mounted on said track in the space between said track guide portions;

a plurality of apertures spaced along said side plate, said apertures extending lengthwise of the ski at least one aperture on said track located in axial alignment with some of the apertures on said slide plate;

a vertically projecting locking pin carried by said lock plate, said pin being engageable with selected apertures in said slide plate and said track to secure said lock plate and slide in selected positions along said track;

a second vertically projecting and means mounting said second pin for axial movement into seleced ones of said slide plate apertures to secure said heel plate to said track.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the mounting means for said second pin includes a lever pivotally mounted on said heel plate, for moving said pin into and out of said selected slide plate apertures.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2 further including spring means urging said pin towards engagement with said slide plate apertures.

4. Apparatus according to claim -1 wherein said first mentioned locking pin is a screw having a threaded shank, and a hole in said lock plate having threads mated to the threads on said pin.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said lock plate is adapted to carry a boot toe gripping piece.

6. Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the upper surface of said slide plate is substantially flush with the upper surface of said track.

7. Apparatus for binding a skiers boot on a ski comprising:

a flat plate having a series of apertures spaced lengthwise of the ski, laterally extending guides on each side of said plate, said guides and said flat plate adapted to be secured to the ski;

a heel plate slideably mounted on said flat plate, said heel plate having guide engaging portions for retaining said heel plate on the flat plate;

a downwardly extending pin for locking said heel plate with respect to said fiat plate;

pin mounting means including a locking lever pivotally mounted on said heel plate for movement towards and away from engagement with said heel plate, said pin being mounted on said pivotally mounted lever,

for securing a skiers boot to a ski, compin on said heel plate;

an opening in said heel plate positioned to receive said pin, said pin being movable through said opening into selected ones of said apertures upon movement of said pivotally mounted lever towards said heel plate; spring means on said pivotally mounted lever for biasing said lever downwardly; and a second lever pivotally mounted on said heel plate, a carnming ledge on said second lever for raising said first lever to retract said pin upon pivotal movement of said second lever. 8. Apparatus according to claim 7 wherein said second pivotally mounted lever is flush with said locking lever when the latter is in engagement with said heel plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 870,741 11/1907 Nordlander 280-4135 2,614,858 10/1952 Pierce 280-l1.35 2,758,846 8/1956 Swensen 280-1 1.35

FOREIGN PATENTS 163,522 7/1949 Austria.

86,038 8/ 1920 Switzerland.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner. MILTON L. SMITH, Examiner. 

1. A BINDING FOR SECURING A SKIER''S BOOT TO A SKI, COMPRISING: A GUIDE TRACK ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED ON A SKI, SAID GUIDE TRACK COMPRISING A CHANNEL MEMBER HAVING GUIDE PORTIONS SPACED FROM THE UPPER SURFACE OF THE SKI; A LOCK PLATE AND A HEEL PLATE EACH SLIDABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TRACK GUIDE PORTIONS, SAID LOCK AND HEEL PLATES EACH HAVING GUIDE PORTIONS COMPLEMENTARY TO THE TRACK GUIDE PORTIONS FOR RETAINING SAID PLATES ON THE TRACK; AN ELONGATED SIDE PLATE MOUNTED ON SAID TRACK IN THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID TRACK GUIDE PORTIONS; A PLURALITY OF APERTURES SPACED ALONG SAID SIDE PLATE, SAID APERTURES EXTENDING LENGTHWISE OF THE SKI AT LEAST ONE APERTURE ON SAID TRACK LOCATED IN AXIAL ALIGNMENT WITH SOME OF THE APERTURES ON SAID SLIDE PLATE; 